Colony of badgers ruining Rhosrobin pensioner's garden

Edna Wedley, 73, of Briars Wood, Rhosrobin says her garden has been ruined by badgers and their tunnelling over a period of two years.

She said: “They are making my life a misery. It’s getting beyond a joke now. I can’t even go and put my washing out.

“I’ve had to replace my fence twice because they have eaten holes in it. They have eaten the bottom of the shed leaving slobber everywhere, and my garden has been churned up.

“It’s costing me money, as well as the fence to replace, I’ve had to reseed the garden about 10 times. There is concrete under the fence but they still get through – you should see the size of the tunnels they leave. There are between seven and 10 tunnels, so it must be a family of them.

“They are dangerous. They have big claws and I know they can carry TB.”

Mrs Wedley said she found out it was badgers ruining her garden when a passer-by alerted her last year, having spotted one on the other side of her back fence when out walking.

She added: “It suddenly made sense, given the size of the holes and tunnels, and the snout marks and slobber on the door.

“It’s getting me down that I can’t even use my own garden. I’m too old to be filling in these holes all the time. I contacted the RSPCA last year and was told little could be done as they are a protected species. I pay my council tax but they cannot do anything either.

“I’d just like someone to help me deal with the problem so I can go back to having a nice garden.”

A Wrexham Council spokesman said the issue was not one that comes under the control of the authority.

A spokesman for the RSPCA said: “Expanding urban areas are built on existing badger territories, which may mean that badgers enter gardens as they look for food, or find their home is now in secluded areas of gardens or recreational land.

“The most humane and long-term solution to discourage badgers is to remove or prevent access to what attracts them, whether this is food or shelter, but bear in mind that badgers and their setts are protected by law.

“For advice on deterring badgers see our ‘Living with badgers’ factsheet which can be viewed at www.rspca.org.uk/ adviceandwelfare/wildlife/inthe wild/badgers

“For further advice on deterring badgers, the contact details for your Local Badger Group can be obtained from The Badger Trust on 08458 287878 or www.badger. org.uk”